Respect, dignity, sacrifice: Honoring those who protect

Aggie faculty and students united on Tuesday, Nov. 11 in honor of those who have risked their lives in combat.

Cameron University honored Veterans Day with a variety of events to recognize all members, both active duty and retired, of the armed forces. These events began at 11:30 a.m. in Shepler Cafeteria for a free meal for the armed forces members.

To begin the Veterans Day ceremony, which was held at 1 p.m. in Veterans Grove, those attending joined together for a moment of silence. The moment of silence was immediately followed by National Remembrance Roll Call, comprised of the list of names of those who lost their lives since last Veterans Day.

President John McArthur accompanied Major General John G. Rossi, Commanding General for Fires Center of Excellence and Ft. Sill. The ceremony continued with a presentation of the flags by CU’s color guard. The time in Veterans Grove was used to honor and reflect on those who served the country.

Cameron also featured its flag display for the fifth year in a row. Former Vice President Jennifer Holland helped during flag placement on Nov. 6.

“Each flag planted out here represents a life lost in combat during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Holland said. “You think about how each flag is someone’s brother or sister or husband or wife. There’s a whole lot of meaning in each of those flags. Twice, we’ve read names of Cameron graduates. We have planted benches for both of those in Veterans Grove.”

Holland commented on the importance of the flags and how the planting process for the flags happens.

“We tell our volunteers who come out to help plant the flags that each one of these flags is very important, and we want them to treat that with respect and dignity because those people make the ultimate sacrifice,” Holland said. “You see the impact is huge. It’s a little bit overwhelming when you think about what does that mean.”

A total of 6,889 flags commemorated the memory of those who served and lost their lives in combat. The flag display was almost campus wide, covering parts that included the Bentley Gardens, Graybill Courtyard and Veterans Grove.